Louisville advances to Final Four after gruesome injury

[waltky]

Cardinals rally for Kevin Ware...

Louisville's Ware breaks leg in tourney game
Mar. 31`13 — A gruesome injury that left Louisville guard Kevin Ware with a broken leg plunged Lucas Oil Stadium into horrified silence, with coach Rick Pitino wiping away tears and shocked teammates openly weeping during Sunday's Midwest Regional final.

Ware's right leg bent in such an awkward and frightening angle that CBS stopped showing replays shortly after the fall in the NCAA tournament matchup against Duke. Viewers who saw the injury on TV reacted on social networks and (hash)KevinWare shot to one of the top worldwide trending topics on Twitter. Video of the injury was posted on YouTube — CBS initially replayed it twice before changing course. With 6:33 left in the first half, Ware tried to contest a 3-pointer by Tyler Thornton. Ware's leg buckled when he landed, bending almost at a right angle.

School officials said Ware was taken to Methodist Hospital with a broken lower right leg. Louisville spokesman Kenny Klein said hospital officials told the school that Ware was "resting comfortably" and that the pain was "under control." Klein said a team of doctors was being assembled. He was uncertain whether that meant Ware would undergo surgery in Indianapolis. Ware was taken off the court on a stretcher. The injury happened right in front of Pitino and the Louisville bench, and several Cardinals were overcome with emotion.

Louisville forward Wayne Blackshear fell to the floor, crying, and Chane Behanan looked as if he was going to be sick on the court, kneeling on his hands and feet. Peyton Siva sat a few feet away, a hand covering his mouth. Luke Hancock patted Ware's chest as doctors worked on the sophomore and Russ Smith — who is from New York City like Ware — walked away, pulling his jersey over his eyes. Someone finally pulled Behanan to his feet, but he doubled over and needed a few seconds to gather himself. As Ware was being loaded onto the stretcher, the Cardinals gathered at midcourt until Pitino called them over, saying that Ware wanted to talk to them before he left.

In the immediate aftermath, those who had been watching the game on television took to social media to express their concern. Former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, who famously sustained a broken leg during a Monday night football game against the New York Giants, tweeted that, "Watching Duke/ Louisville my heart goes out to Kevin Ware." Louisville, the top overall seed in the tourney, went more than 3 minutes without scoring after the injury but regained its composure to take a 35-32 halftime lead and went on to an 85-63 victory. Ware, a sophomore from the Bronx, was instrumental in Louisville's victory over Oregon in the regional semifinals. He scored 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting in 25 minutes off the bench.

Louisville's Ware breaks leg in tourney game

See also:

CBS halts replays of basketball player's injury
Mar. 31`13 — CBS is telling its NCAA basketball crew not to show replays of Louisville guard Kevin Ware's gruesome injury during Sunday's tournament game between his team and Duke.

Ware's leg came down awkwardly and broke while he attempted to block a shot during the first half of the game. CBS showed two slow-motion replays of the injury right after it happened then not again, concentrating on the reaction of people around him. The segment was not replayed during CBS' halftime coverage. CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus says that was because of the graphic nature of the footage.

CBS halts replays of basketball player's injury

And...

Louisville beats Duke 85-63 to reach Final Four
Mar. 31,`13 — With tears in their eyes and Kevin Ware in their hearts, there was no way Louisville was losing this game.

Russ Smith scored 23, Gorgui Dieng had 14 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks, and top-seeded Louisville put aside the shock from Ware's gruesome leg injury to earn a second straight trip to the Final Four with an 85-63 victory over Duke on Sunday afternoon. As the final seconds ticked down, Chane Behanan put Ware's jersey on and stood at the end of the Louisville bench, screaming. Cardinals fans chanted "Kevin Ware! Kevin Ware!" "We won this for him," coach Rick Pitino said. "We were all choked up with emotion for him. We'll get him back to normal. We've got great doctors, great trainers. We talked about it every timeout, 'Get Kevin home.'" This was the first time Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski had met in the regional finals since that 1992 classic that ended with Christian Laettner's improbable buzzer-beater, a game now considered one of the best in NCAA tournament history.

This game will be remembered, too, but for a very different — and much more somber — reason. With 6:33 left in the first half, Ware, a sophomore who has played a key role in Louisville's 14-game winning streak, jumped to try and block Tyler Thornton's 3-point shot. When he landed, his right leg snapped midway between his ankle and knee, the bone skewing almost at a right angle. Ware dropped to the floor right in front of the Louisville bench and, almost in unison, his teammates turned away in horror. Thornton grimaced, putting his hand to his mouth as he turned around. Louisville forward Wayne Blackshear fell to the floor and Behanan looked as if he was going to be sick on the court, kneeling on his hands and feet. Luke Hancock patted Ware's chest as doctors worked on the sophomore and Smith walked away, pulling his jersey over his eyes.

Pitino had tears in his eyes as he tried to console his players. Dieng draped an arm around the shoulders of Smith, who repeatedly wiped at his eyes and shook his head. The Cardinals gathered at halfcourt to try and regroup before Pitino called them over to the sideline, saying Ware wanted to talk to them before he left. News of the injury dominated social media. Joe Theismann whose NFL career ended with a horrific broken leg, said on Twitter, "Watching Duke/ Louisville my heart goes out to Kevin Ware." Fans chanted "Kevin! Kevin" as Ware was loaded onto the stretcher, and Pitino wiped away tears again as Ware was wheeled off the court. The Cardinals struggled to put the horrific injury behind them, missing four of their next five shots along with two free throws after play resumed. They regrouped after a timeout, with Smith's finger roll sparking a 12-6 run to finish the half that gave them a 35-32 lead.

Smith picked up where he left off at the start of the second half, making all three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt to give Louisville a 38-32 lead, its largest of the game to that point. But just as he did against Michigan State, Duke star Seth Curry got hot after halftime, making two 3s in the first three minutes. Mason Plumlee dunked to tie the game at 42. That, however, was all Louisville needed. Clawing for every rebound, diving on the floor for loose balls and cranking the intensity up even higher on their ferocious defense, the Cardinals were not going to lose. And everyone, Duke included, knew it. Smith made a layup, Siva made a nice jumper at the top of the key and then followed with a layup. Just like that, the Cardinals were off on a 20-4 run that sealed the victory.

Louisville beats Duke 85-63 to reach Final Four

 

[TheOldSchool]

Damn you Louisville!!! My bracket is in tatters!!!

But I hope that guy gets better soon.

 

[Mad Scientist]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu5plpbAyO8]Louisville Player Kevin Ware Breaks Leg - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Merchant_of_Meh]

Horrific injury. I've watched some bad ones with soccer, but that one was far worse than any I've seen.

And he was still yelling at his team to win the game. Unbelievable from him. Wish him a very speedy recovery.

 

[JectSub49]

Congrats to the University of Louisville,Men & Women basketball teams on their win's over Duke & Baylor University's.

 

[Pop23]

Geez, watched the game, saw it when it happened. Reminded me of the hit on Joe Theisman that took him out of the game.

Hope the kids OK!

 

[waltky]

Local news showed a picture of him already standing with crutches...

Louisville's Kevin Ware resting after surgery
April 1, 2013 Kevin Ware is already up and walking, and he's got a nice souvenir to keep him company until he's cleared to return to Louisville.

Cardinals coach Rick Pitino brought the Midwest Regional championship trophy when he visited Ware, who remains hospitalized after surgery to repair a gruesome fracture in his right leg. "He was real excited about (the trophy)," Pitino said after visiting Ware again Monday morning. "I said to him, 'You want me to bring it back or stay with you?' He said, 'It's staying with me.' I said, 'All right, just make sure you don't lose it.'" During a 2-hour surgery Sunday night, doctors reset Ware's broken tibia and inserted a rod into the bone. Because the bone broke through the skin, Pitino said doctors are monitoring Ware to make sure no infection develops. If there are no complications, he should be released Tuesday.

The Cardinals plan to leave for the Final Four in Atlanta on Wednesday night, and Pitino said they expect to have Ware with them. Ware is originally from New York City, but he moved to the Atlanta area before high school. "He gets to go home, be with his family and be with us on the bench," Pitino said. "He's in very good spirits and anxious to get out of the hospital and get back with the guys." Ware's right leg snapped in the first half of Sunday's Midwest Regional final when he landed awkwardly after trying to contest a 3-point shot. The horrific injury devastated his teammates, and several fell to the court crying. Chane Behanan, Ware's best friend on the team, had to be helped to his feet.

In this photo released by the University of Louisville, injured Louisville guard Kevin Ware lies in a hospital bed holding the NCAA Regional Championship trophy flanked by coach Rick Pitino, left, and former Louisville assistant coach Richard Pitino, Monday, April 1, 2013, in Louisville, Ky. Ware broke his leg in the first half of Sunday's Midwest Regional final when he landed awkwardly after trying to contest a 3-point shot, breaking his leg in two places. He was taken off the court on a stretcher as his stunned teammates openly wept. His teammates went on to defeat Duke 85-63 to reach their second straight Final Four.

But before Ware was wheeled off the court on a stretcher, he repeatedly urged the Cardinals to "just go win the game." The Cardinals did, beating Duke 85-63 to reach their second straight Final Four, and they said afterward there was no way they could have let Ware down. "Right before the surgery, when he was able to watch the players at the press conference, the nurses and doctors told me that was the first time he broke down and cried, when the players were talking about him," Pitino said.

Ware's injury dominated social media Sunday night, and Pitino said the sophomore guard has been moved by all the messages of support. Joe Theismann, whose NFL career was ended by a horrific broken leg in a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, has called Ware, Pitino said. On Sunday, Theismann tweeted, "Watching Duke/ Louisville my heart goes out to Kevin Ware." Television analyst Greg Anthony also called, and Pitino said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski called him Monday to see how Ware was doing. "A lot of really positive calls that are making him feel good," Pitino said.

More Louisville's Kevin Ware resting after surgery | CNS News

 

[Politico]

That added some excitement to a boring game.

 

[TheGreatGatsby]

What was scary about that injury is how it happened on a pretty routine jump w/o anyone pushing him or anybody else's weight coming down on him. It reminds you how something freakishly gruesome can happen to you at any moment.

 

[BecauseIKnow]

How did that happen? Lack of calcium? Did he have a fracture he didn't know about? Or is it really just a a coincidencial fall? I'm playing basketball tomorrow but we don't jump too high though.

 

[Misty]

I wondered the same thing, does he have glass bones? There must have been some other underlying problem because his leg should not have snapped like that in 2 places. It may have been already fractured. It was super gross though.

 

[BecauseIKnow]

It was already fractured I read.

 

[BecauseIKnow]

Usually that should have resulted in an broken ankle or sprained ankle only, it happens a lot but a leg snapping was gruesome, I'm glad he got through it though. But the players puked.

 

[Pop23]

Usually that should have resulted in an broken ankle or sprained ankle only, it happens a lot but a leg snapping was gruesome, I'm glad he got through it though. But the players puked.

They think he had a hairline fracture prior to the game, or some kind of underlying illness, but I don't think anyone is sure yet. But did you see the air that guy got? Damn.

Not only were the players puking, but look at the tears in the coaches eyes.

Best to him, hope he plays again.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Kentucky Wildcat fan here but am pulling for Louisville to cut down the nets.

 

[Pop23]

I wondered the same thing, does he have glass bones? There must have been some other underlying problem because his leg should not have snapped like that in 2 places. It may have been already fractured. It was super gross though.

And they showed the replay over and over and over. Had kids watching and I shut the game off because one of them started to look like she was going to get sick!

 

[waltky]

Kevin Ware came back to campus today...

... they're hopin' the doctor will give him the okay...

... to go with the team to Atlanta to watch the tourney.

Might add that University Hosp. is the only Level 1 trauma center in the region...

... so he'll be gettin' the best of care, you can bet.